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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

An EGGciting New Breakfast Gadget!

Most of you already know, I'm a bit of a breakfast fan. Something about the amazing aromas wafting through the RV in the early (relatively!) AM and mixing with clean fresh air from outside on a crisp morning just gets me going. Add a bit of freshly brewed coffee and you are in store for a great day! I find and try various breakfast food gadgets whenever they strike me as interesting. Most of the time they work really well. Sometimes....not so much. Case in point:

Bacon & Egg Ease... sure sounds like a plan to me.

Bacon can be a P.I.T.A. to clean up and the splatter from a typical skillet is annoying to clean up. This handy gizmo seemed like a winner to me when I first saw it. The general idea? It looked as though you could cook your eggs on top and your bacon on the bottom, all automatically in your microwave in short order with an easy rinse water cleanup. Wipe it out and put it away.

Ahhh, if only that was the case!

The reality isn't nearly as convenient. First you have to remove the clear plastic dome and use some cooking spray on the top egg cup. Next they tell you to pre-cook the bacon in the bottom silicone tray for some number of seconds. I tried the recommended one while running on my inverter... no good, had to add time. Then you add the egg and cook for additional time. Mine wasn't really done so i extended the time a bit.

BOOM!

The egg exploded, lifted the clear plastic dome and made a real mess. Usually, when I am using my older (better?) microwave egg cooker I pierce the yoke and white a few times with a fork so they can vent steam. No such directions for this cooking implement.

There is a little tab that is connected to a flat "floor" under the egg section. It will allow you to lift the (mostly exploded) section of egg out. The lower section, where the bacon cooks, is made of a very flexible silicone and has grooves in it to catch the grease. Well, that sounds like a good idea, but they are no where near tall enough to keep your bacon out of the grease. The distance between the top egg cooking part and the lower bacon cooking part is quite small so it's tough to manipulate.

Since the egg and the bacon cook together (mostly) you have to really get the timing perfect if you'd like both the egg and the bacon "your way." After many false starts, I precooked just the bacon for almost 2 minutes then added the egg and cooked for an additional minute. They were passable. It was then I realized that you've got to clean this whole thing. All four parts separate... but there are four of them. All spattered with bacon grease and egg bits. Most will wipe away with a moist paper towel, but you will be washing the rest in the sink with soap and water. Not exactly a water saver!

Now everyone knows I am a gadget lover. I'll find space to store anything that is a work or supplies saver when I travel. This one won't be joining me on any excursions. I may try to use it at home for a quick breakfast, especially where I have a dishwasher to clean it.... no, wait.... it's NOT dishwasher safe!!

Buy a few lbs of bacon and precook it in the oven on a raised cooking grid, or better yet on a grill or a grill over the campfire. You can then place the cooked strips between paper towels and into a large Ziploc bag. They will store in the refrigerator for up to 6 to 8 weeks before getting stale. When you are ready to eat some just microwave for a few seconds or like I do keep them in the pan and use the small amount residual oil to cook your eggs